"If you have a job, you're lucky," said Rochester-based job placement specialist Danielle Powers. She says far too many workers, including executives, have heard that phrase this past year.

"Training's been eliminated. HR, employee relations have been eliminated. A lot of marketing has been eliminated, so all of those functions have been put onto other individuals. That's not their job, and so they're taking on added roles and responsibility, but they're not getting the recognition, the training, the wherewithal to do the job, let alone, the genuine respect and affirmation that they're looking for," Powers said.

The talent and career management arm of Manpower released a report this week that quantifies employees' discontent.

Of the more than 900 North American workers surveyed, Right Management reports 60 percent said they intend to leave their job as the economy improves in 2010.

Twenty-one percent said they're networking and 6 percent have updated their resumes.

Only 13 percent of workers surveyed said they intend to stay.
Powers says those numbers are inline with the pulse her placement agency, The Employment Store, has taken locally.

"People are staying because of fear. Because, what I'm doing now, at least it's secure, it's stable, but the moment, but if my spouse gets a job and then we're back to duel incomes, they say, I'm out of here," said Powers.

Yet another national senior–level executive networking firm, Execu/Net found management is not only misjudging the percentage of direct reports pursing new opportunities, but that accountability for executive retention also appears to be missing.

Powers admits signs of the trend were even brewing within her own organization.

"So, we put into place, we said to our team two months ago, look it, we know we've been working you really hard. We want to retain you. We want to keep you here, so that when things do turn around, we can continue to grow and be great," Powers said.

With hiring at the top of the employment market starting to stabilize, insiders like Powers say now is the time to refocus on retention and transparency before it's too late.

"Some companies are at risk of not really realizing the talent that they do have and we all know the cost to hire and train and get that right fit for your organization is an expensive one," Powers said.

The Employment Store
ExecuNet
Right Management